American fugitives in Cuba

Various American fugitives in Cuba have found political asylum in Cuba after participating in militant activities in the Black power movement or the Independence movement in Puerto Rico.[1] Other fugitives in Cuba include defected CIA agents and other various criminals.[2] The Cuban government formed formal ties with the Black Panther Party in the 1960s, and many fugitive Black Panthers would find political asylum in Cuba, but after their activism was seen being repressed in Cuba many became disillusioned.[3] House Concurrent Resolution 254, passed in 1998, put the number at 90.[4] One estimate, c. 2000, put the number at approximately 100.[5]

History

Beginnings

Fidel Castro had long tried to court African American support for Cuba ever since the victory of the Cuban Revolution and the promotions of Cuba as an island without racism perfect for African American tourists. Robert F. Williams was invited to live in Cuba after legal prosecutions against him in the United States in 1961. While in Cuba he edited The Crusader newspaper and hosted radio shows at Radio Free Dixie. Over Williams' time in Cuba he bagan to become disillusioned with Cuba believing the island was controlled by a "white petit bourgeoisie,’ while Afro-Cubans were feeling the pinch of fastreturning subtle racism", and also later suggested against black militants without criminal histories hijacking planes to come to Cuba. Williams was also discouraged from promoting Black nationalist beliefs by the Cuban government.[6]

Increase

Between 1967 and 1968 dozens of Black Panthers found refuge in Cuba. Eldridge Cleaver went to reside Cuba in 1968 and asked for Cuba to militarily train Black Panthers, the proposition was declined.[7] By 1969 various Black Panthers in Cuba complained of not being allowed to organize their party or discuss African culture, and arrests following protesting conditions in Cuba or asking to leave the country.[8]

Between 1968 and 1972 over 130 airplane hijackings occurred in the United States, all hijackers aiming to fly their planes to Cuba to find refuge. Many hijackers regarded themselves as revolutionaries but one noted hijacker was a Cuban exile who simply wanted to return home to eat his mother's food. Most hijackers were interviewed by Cuban authorities and either sent to live in the "Hijackers House" dormitory or work in labor camps.[9] Huey P. Newton found himself residing in Cuba in 1974 and mostly kept to himself in his home in Santa Clara. Assata Shakur would find refuge in Cuba later in 1984.[7] By the time Shakur resided in Cuba the Cuban government had relaxed procedures used on fugitives residing in Cuba and mainly left her to her own devices.[6]

Later status

Since the resumption of relations with the United States and the trades of imprisoned spies some have suspected fugitives in Cuba may be extradited to the United States but no extraditions have occurred.[2]

List

The following people are fugitives who have or currently are finding refuge in Cuba, (in alphabetical order).

See also
  • Cuba-United States relations
  • List of people granted political asylum

References
  1. Meghan Keneally (December 19, 2014). "These American Fugitives May Be Hiding Out in Cuba". abcnews.go.com.
  2. Jon Lee Anderson (August 13, 2016). "The American Fugitives of Havana". newyorker.com.
  3. Ruth Reitan (December 13, 2007). "Cuba, the black panther party and the US black movement in the 1960s: Issues of security". tandofonline.com.
  4. House Concurrent Resolution 254.
  5. Reed Irvine and Cliff Kincaid. 2000, May 11. "Sending Elian Back To A Terrorist State Archived 2006-12-01 at the Wayback Machine." Accuracy in Media.
  6. Jessie Lafrance Dunbar (November 3, 2017). "Where Diaspora Meets Disillusionment: Panther Politics in Castro's Cub". muse.jhu.edu.
  7. Alberto Benvenuti. "African American Radicals and Revolutionary Cuba from 1959 until the Black Power Years" (PDF). openstarts.units.it.
  8. Fenton Wheeler (June 26, 1969). "Life Worse in Cuba, Unhappy Black Panthers Wail". latinamericanstudies.org.
  9. Brendan Koerner (June 18, 2013). "How Hijackers Commandeered Over 130 American Planes — In 5 Years". wired.com.
  10. Asha Bandele. 2003, January. "Cuba's soul: the nation's spirit still thrives. Just ask the women." Essence.
  11. Costello D. 1986, August 13. "Cuba claims U.S. officer in defection." Courier-Mail.
  12. Larry Rohter. 1996, April 9. "Havana Journal;25 Years an Exile: An Old Black Panther Sums Up." New York Times.
  13. Aidan Smith. 2000, May 2. "The Gun-toting Black Panther who turned into a Pussycat." The Scotsman.
  14. New York Post. May 9, 1998. "Playing Chesimard with Cuba." p. 14.
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